Chapter 17 Take This As A Lesson

When the girls heard his words, they gasped.

"My God!" one of them exclaimed.

It was unbelievable. Tony, barely in his twenties, had already achieved so much. His status was nothing short of astonishing.

Some of the women muttered enviously, wishing they could be the object of his attention instead.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, beamed with pride. With the contract signed and such a remarkable young man as her future son-in-law, the Adams family’s rise to prominence felt inevitable. They weren’t just on their way to the top—they were destined to become the most powerful family in Hiphia.

The room buzzed with excitement, laughter, and admiration. But amidst the cheers, one pair of eyes remained cold and indifferent.

Kayden.

He sat quietly, his gaze fixed on Tony, his expression filled with disdain, as if he were staring at some cheap street performer.

What a fraud, Kayden thought. He had never seen someone so shameless, so willing to bask in praise that wasn’t theirs to claim.

Without a word, he pulled out his phone and made a call. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.

“Remove Tony Scott’s name from the the military system,” he said. “Five minutes.”

Though Kayden hadn’t raised his voice, the room fell silent. People turned their heads, staring at him in shock.

“Did… Did he just say that out loud?” someone whispered.

“Ha! What an idiot,” another scoffed. “He thinks he can do anything to Mr. Tony Scott? Did anyone even see him unlock his phone? Must be a prank.”

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

“Is this guy serious? He was already a joke before, but now he’s just embarrassing himself,” someone else said, grinning.

“Maybe he hit his head too hard last time,” a third chimed in, laughing louder.

Kayden ignored them. His calm gaze swept over the crowd.

“What?” he said. “You don’t believe me? Just wait five minutes.”

Tony smirked and crossed his arms, clearly amused.

“You really think I would just somehow get fired in five minutes?” he asked, his voice dripping with mockery.

Before Kayden could answer, Georgia stepped forward. Her face was flushed with embarrassment, and she grabbed Kayden’s arm.

“What are you doing?” she hissed. “Stop this!”

Kayden turned to her, his tone quiet but firm.

“I just don’t like people taking credit for things they didn’t do,” he said, then addressed the room. “Those gifts Tony brought? They were mine. And as for the contract, the head of the Atkinson family used to work under me. I told him to give it to Georgia.”

The room went still.

For a moment, no one said a word.

Then Jamie broke the silence with a loud, derisive laugh.

“You’re insane,” he said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. “You? You’re claiming the diamond, the wine collection, the house, and those cash—all that came from you? And even the head of the Atkinson family worked for you? What kind of fantasy world do you live in?”

The crowd roared with laughter, the sound echoing around the room.

Georgia’s cheeks burned. She looked down, wishing the floor would swallow her whole.

Kayden’s words weren’t just ridiculous; they were humiliating. She had begged him before to stop with his wild claims, but he never listened.

Why couldn’t he just be normal?

“Enough!” Elizabeth snapped, her voice cutting through the laughter. Her face was flushed with anger.

She jabbed a finger toward Kayden. “Get out! I don’t want to see your face on such an important day. You’re ruining everything!”

Kayden said nothing. He simply stood there, his expression unreadable. Finally, he turned toward the door, his steps unhurried.

The laughter grew louder once he was gone.

Suddenly, Tony’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and quickly answered.

“Yes, Commander!” he said, his voice full of respect.

But the voice on the other end was cold and commanding.

“Tony Scott,” the man said. “You are to be permanently removed from the military system. Effective immediately. If you set foot on military grounds again, you will face execution.”

Tony froze, his body stiffening.

“W-What?” he stammered. “Commander, why—”

“Don’t ask questions,” the man interrupted. “You’ve offended someone you shouldn’t have. Let this be a lesson.”

The line went dead.

Tony stood there, his phone still pressed to his ear, his face pale. His hands trembled as he lowered the device.

Removed? Executed?

It didn’t make sense. Who could possibly have the power to do this?

His eyes darted toward Kayden, who was now standing near the door, his back turned to the room.

No. It can’t be him. He’s just a fool… right?

Tony forced a smile and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“Who was that?” Elizabeth asked, noticing his expression.

“Oh, nothing important,” Tony said, his voice a little too loud. “Just my superior. He wants me back next week for a new assignment.”

Elizabeth smiled in relief. “Good, good. Tonight, let’s celebrate properly! We’ll head to the Royal Oaks.”

---

That evening, the Adams family rented out the entire hotel for the celebration. The luxurious five-star venue was the perfect backdrop for their joy.

The banquet was lively, filled with laughter and clinking glasses. But not everyone was pleased. Jamie and a few others cast resentful glances at Georgia and her family, who were basking in Elizabeth’s attention.

Kayden was there, too, but he might as well have been invisible. He was seated at a small, distant table near the door, far from the main celebration.

But if the arrangement bothered him, he didn’t show it. He sat quietly, sipping a glass of wine, his expression distant.

To him, the people in the room were nothing more than ants.